Suture sleeve and a method for implanting one or more electrical leads into a vein

Abstract

In a suture sleeve and implantation method for one or more implantable leads, the suture sleeve is adapted to be inserted into a vein to secure and protect the one or more leads from damage when a suture thread is positioned and tied around the vein in the region over the suture sleeve to secure the suture sleeve and prevent bleeding from the vein. The suture sleeve has two or more lead receiving through holes into each of which a medical implantable lead may be inserted. The suture sleeve is formed such that at least all of the holes except one are provided with sealing means, which easily can be broken or removed when inserting a lead into the hole such that, when inserted into a vein, bleeding is prevented from a through hole of the sleeve by the sealing means even if no lead is positioned in the hole. The invention also relates to a method for implanting one or more electrical leads into a vein.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The invention relates to a suture sleeve for one or more implantable leads, the suture sleeve being adapted to be inserted into a vein to secure and protect the one or more leads from damage when a suture thread is positioned and tied around the vein in the region over the suture sleeve to secure the suture sleeve and prevent bleeding from the vein, of the type having two or more lead receiving through holes, into each of which a medical implantable lead may be inserted.[0003]The invention also relates to a method for implanting one or more electrical leads into a vein.[0004]2. Description of the Prior Art[0005]It is sometimes desirable to implant an electrical lead into a vein in an animal or human body, such that the lead extends out from the vein. This is the case e.g. when implanting a pacemaker into a body for monitoring and controlling the heart function. The pacemaker itself is implanted just under the skin in a ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]It is an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages with prior art suture sleeves. More specifically it is an object to provide a suture sleeve for one or more electrical leads which is easy to handle and by means of which it is possible to effectively eliminate any bleeding independently of whether there are leads positioned in every through hole or not.

[0013]The basis of the invention is the insight that the above object may be achieved by means of a suture sleeve having two or more lead receiving through holes. At least all the holes except one are provided with sealing means, which are easy to break or remove when it is desirable to insert a lead into a specific hole. Accordingly, as long as no lead is inserted into a hole and the sealing means is intact, the sealing means prevents any blood leakage through that hole.

[0016]However, in many cases the leads have a thickened portion, e.g. in their tip portions. For this reason, according to a hereinafter described embodiment, at least all of the holes except one are formed with a slot along the entire length of the hole and the suture sleeve is formed of an elastic material. In this way a lead can be inserted into a through hole by deflecting the material around the hole, for widening the slot, and inserting the lead sideways through the widened slot. It is, in such a case, favorable if the slot formed through holes, are each provided with a sealing means in form of a membrane, which will brake when deflecting the material around the hole and widening the slot. However, one of the through holes can, as in the described and illustrated embodiment, be unbroken and adapted to be pre-assembled onto a lead. In this way there is no risk of losing the suture sleeve during an implantation.

Problems solved by technology

Normally, this is not a preferred embodiment, since small removable items in connection with an open cut in a body, could constitute a risk that the item is lost in the cut.

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